Archbishop Anne Germond to Retire in 2027 After Ten Years Leading Diocese of Algoma

The Most Reverend Anne Germond, Archbishop of Algoma and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, has announced her intention to retire in 2027, after ten years of episcopal ministry in the Diocese of Algoma. The announcement was issued jointly by the Diocese of Algoma and the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario.

Archbishop Anne was elected the eleventh Bishop of Algoma on October 14, 2016, and consecrated on February 11, 2017, becoming the first woman to serve as bishop of the diocese. In October 2018 she was elected Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, becoming the first woman to hold that office. Born and raised in South Africa, she came to Canada in 1986. Before her election as bishop, she served in parish ministry in the Diocese of Algoma, including as Rector of the Church of the Ascension in Sudbury and Archdeacon of Sudbury–Manitoulin.

The source describes her years as bishop as marked by a strong emphasis on pastoral relationships, prayer, Christian formation, and shared responsibility between clergy and lay people. She has travelled extensively across Algoma’s five deaneries, taking part in the worship, celebrations, struggles, and daily life of parish communities. Her episcopate has also spanned considerable change, including the COVID-19 pandemic and its lasting effects on congregational life, patterns of ministry, and ongoing discernment about the Church’s future.

As Metropolitan, she led the province’s seven dioceses through the pandemic. The source reports that she worked closely with the Ontario House of Bishops to coordinate the Church’s response, offering pastoral guidance as congregations dealt with the suspension of in-person worship, changing public health requirements, and the gradual reopening of churches. The source also notes that her provincial responsibilities included episcopal oversight of the Diocese of Moosonee during its years as a Mission Area, until that diocese elected and consecrated its own bishop in 2025.

In September 2024, following the retirement of Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Archbishop Anne assumed the role of Acting Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, while continuing to serve as Metropolitan and Bishop of Algoma and Moosonee. She remained Acting Primate until June 2025, when General Synod elected Archbishop Shane Parker as the fifteenth Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

The Diocese of Algoma will elect its next bishop during Synod 2027, scheduled for May 4–8. That gathering will combine the diocesan Synod’s regular business with an Episcopal Electoral Synod. According to the statement, preparations will follow the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese of Algoma, and information on the electoral process, including the work of the Episcopal Election Process Committee, nominations, and resources for delegates, will be published on the diocesan website as arrangements are confirmed. The transition in the office of Metropolitan will be handled through the appropriate provincial processes, with further information to be shared later.

In her statement, Archbishop Anne said: “It has been one of the great privileges of my life to serve the people of the Diocese of Algoma and the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario.” She added that she was “deeply grateful for the relationships we have built, the ministry we have shared, and the many ways I have witnessed God’s faithfulness at work in our churches and communities.” Clergy and laity are invited to hold Archbishop Anne and her family in prayer, along with the people of the Diocese of Algoma, the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, and all those entrusted with responsibilities during the coming transition.

Source: Read the original report